Multi-panel dispenser napkin

Abstract

A multi-panel dispenser napkin folded on a napkin folder and produced from a paper web and having a plurality of equally sized panels. The width-to-length ratio of the fold configuration is selected from the range of about 0.4 to about 0.7. The fold configuration has at least one transverse fold formed on the folder along the transverse dimension of the paper web and at least two longitudinal folds formed on the napkin folder along the longitudinal dimension of the paper web. None of the equally sized panels has an off-fold panel. The fold configuration is characterized by generally uniform thickness.

1 . A rectangular book folded dispenser sized napkin folded on a napkin folder and produced of a paper web having an emboss pattern of substantially uniform caliper, a machine direction dimension and a cross machine direction dimension, the dispenser sized napkin comprising: 
 a plurality of equally sized panels forming a fold configuration of the napkin having substantially uniform compressibility over its area, the fold configuration having a generally uniform thickness, a length, a width, and a width-to-length ratio of the folded configuration selected from the range of about 0.4 to about 0.8; and    the fold configuration comprising at least one machine direction fold of the paper web and at least two cross machine direction folds;    wherein none of the equally sized panels has a substantial off-fold area.    
     
     
         2 . The dispenser napkin of  claim 1 , wherein the number of equally sized panels is six.  
     
     
         3 . The dispenser napkin of  claim 1 , wherein the number of equally sized panels is eight.  
     
     
         4 . The dispenser napkin of  claim 2 , wherein the width-to-length ratio of the folded configuration is from about 0.5 to about 1.0.  
     
     
         5 . The dispenser napkin of  claim 3 , wherein the width-to-length ratio of the folded configuration is from about 0.4 to about 0.8.  
     
     
         6 . The dispenser napkin of  claim 3 , wherein the width-to-length ratio of the folded configuration is about 0.65.  
     
     
         7 . The dispenser napkin of  claim 1 , wherein the uniform thickness of the fold configuration is from about 25 mils to about 90 mils.  
     
     
         8 . The dispenser napkin of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of equally sized panels comprise an embossing pattern.  
     
     
         9 . A napkin dispenser system comprising: 
 a housing;    a stack of dispenser napkins comprising a plurality of bookfolded dispenser napkins disposed within said housing, each dispenser napkin having a transverse dimension, a longitudinal dimension and being disposed in a fold configuration exhibiting generally uniform thickness; and    the fold configuration comprising at least one longitudinal fold disposed along the machine direction and at least two transverse folds disposed along the cross-machine direction, the configuration fold comprising a plurality of equally sized panels having a length and a width, and wherein a width-to-length ratio of the folded configuration is selected from the range of about 0.4 to about 1.0;    wherein none of the plurality of the equally sized panels is an off-fold panel and wherein an area of the fold configuration is about the same as a cross sectional area of the napkin dispenser housing; the bookfold in each napkin in the stack of napkins being arranged on a single edge of the stack adjacent the bookfold in the adjacent napkins in the stack; and    an interpenetrating mechanism adapted to enter the stack between the bookfolds in adjacent napkins in the stack.    
     
     
         10 . The napkin dispenser of  claim 9 , wherein the napkin dispenser is mechanically operated or electronically operated.  
     
     
         11 . The napkin dispenser of  claim 9 , wherein a number of the plurality of equally sized napkin panels is six.  
     
     
         12 . The napkin dispenser of  claim 9 , wherein a number of the plurality of equally sized napkin panels is eight.  
     
     
         13 . The napkin dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the width-to-length ratio of the folded configuration is from about 0.5 to about 1.0.  
     
     
         14 . The napkin dispenser of  claim 12 , wherein the width-to-length ratio of the folded configuration is from about 0.4 to about 0.8.  
     
     
         15 . The napkin dispenser of  claim 12 , wherein the width-to-length ratio of the folded configuration is about 0.65.  
     
     
         16 . The napkin dispenser of  claim 9 , wherein the uniform thickness of the folded configuration is from about 25 mils to about 90 mils.  
     
     
         17 . The napkin dispenser of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of equally sized panels comprise an embossing pattern.  
     
     
         18 . The napkin dispenser of  claim 9 , further alternately configurable from a reloading configuration to a dispensing configuration.  
     
     
         19 . A method of folding a rectangular dispenser napkin into a folded configuration, the method comprising: 
 providing a folding machine comprising forming plates for creating longitudinal folds in a longitudinal dimension of the machine and controlled vacuum retention turning rolls for creating transverse folds in a transverse dimension of the machine;    feeding a continuous paper web into the folding machine;    cutting the paper web on an anvil roll to provide a rectangular napkin sheet; and    passing the cut napkin to a quarter fold roll and forming a first transverse fold thereupon;    passing the napkin to a packer roll and forming a second transverse fold thereupon;    wherein the forming plates and the controlled vacuum retention turning rolls are configured to fold the rectangular napkin sheet into a fold configuration of a generally uniform thickness by creating at least one longitudinal fold disposed along the machine direction and at least two transverse folds disposed along the cross machine direction, the fold configuration comprising a plurality of equally sized panels with no off-fold panels and having a length and a width defining a width-to-length ratio, the width-to-length ratio of the folded configuration being selected from the range of about 0.4 to about 1.0.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the number of the plurality of equally sized panels is six or eight.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the width-to-length ratio of the folded configuration is from about 0.5 to about 1.0.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the width-to-length ratio of the folded configuration is from about 0.4 to about 0.5.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the width-to-length ratio of the folded configuration is about 0.65.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the uniform thickness of the folded configuration is about 25 mils to about 90 mils.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of equally sized panels comprise an embossing pattern.  
     
     
         26 . A method of loading a napkin dispenser having an interpenetrating dispenser mechanism comprising: 
 obtaining a plurality of bookfolded multi-panel napkins, wherein each bookfolded multi-panel napkin comprises a fold configuration with a plurality of equally sized panels, none of which is an off-fold panel, the fold configuration having a length and a width defining a width-to-length ratio of the folded configuration from the range of about 0.4 to about 1.0;    obtaining a napkin dispenser having a reloading configuration and a dispensing configuration, and having a cross-sectional area of about the same size as that of the fold configuration;    disposing the plurality of bookfolded multi-panel napkins adjacent to each other to form a stack of multi-panel napkins having said bookfolds aligned along the same face of the stack of bookfolded multi-panel napkins;    positioning the napkin dispenser to be in the reloading configuration;    loading the stack of bookfolded multi-panel napkins into the napkin dispenser such that the bookfolded face of said stack of bookfolded multi-panel dispenser napkins is presented to said interpenetrating mechanism; and    re-positioning the napkin dispenser to be in the dispensing configuration.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein each multi-panel napkin comprise a plurality of equal size napkin panels.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the napkin dispenser further comprises a dispenser cavity, a reload opening and a dispenser opening, the reload opening and dispenser opening being coupled with the dispenser cavity.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising accessing the dispenser cavity via the reload opening when the napkin dispenser is in the reloading configuration.  
     
     
         30 . A stack of dispenser napkins comprising: 
 a wrap;    a plurality of bookfolded dispenser napkins encompassed by said wrap, each dispenser napkin having a transverse dimension, a longitudinal dimension and being disposed in a fold configuration exhibiting generally uniform thickness; and    the fold configuration comprising at least one longitudinal fold disposed along the machine direction and at least two transverse folds disposed along the cross-machine direction, the configuration fold comprising a plurality of equally sized panels having a length and a width, and wherein a width-to-length ratio of the folded configuration is selected from the range of about 0.4 to about 1.0;    wherein none of the plurality of the equally sized panels is an off-fold panel and wherein an area of the fold configuration is about the same as a cross sectional area of the napkin dispenser housing; the bookfold in each napkin in the stack of napkins being arranged on a single edge of the stack adjacent the bookfold in the adjacent napkins in the stack.